Las Venturas Fire Department
The Las Venturas Fire Department (LVFD) is the agency that provides fire suppression, emergency medical services, rescue, fire code enforcement and permitting, and public safety education inside Las Venturas and in and around Bone County. The LVFD employs a total of 668 uniformed members and has a fleet of firetrucks, rescue vehicles, ambulances and air vehicles. The LVFD is a basic life support (BLS) and advanced life support (ALS) provider. History The LV Fire Department has its origins in the year 1889, when then-Governor of San Andreas Patrick Waterman formed a voluntary firefighting force with its first engine, Co. 1. Over time, the department expanded with new volunteers as migration to Bone County was at a new height. Due to this fast expansion and the founding of Las Venturas, the authorities deemed the need for a professional firefighting force necessary, and finally on November 23, 1953 the Las Venturas Fire Department was organized with its first fire chief, John S. Moore. At that time, the department evolved from 25 unpaid volunteers to 67 paid firefighters. Their fleet expanded from 1 steam fire engine to a total of 4 steam fire engines, 1 aerial ladder truck and a hose wagon. On January 1, 1954, Station 11, which was the first built fire station for the department, opened. It was a two-bay facility constructed at a cost of $33,000 and was equipped with one 1953 Seagrave, 750 GPM Pumper and operated by two four-man crews. Present day Today, the Las Venturas Fire Department responds to more than 450 emergency responses every day. 668 uniformed members protect two million inhabitants and 36 million tourists each year, and the department transports more than 220 people to area hospitals daily. Different field divisions exist within the department, such as the new, revamped, Air Operations and a Urban Search & Rescue (USAR) Division. Administrative divisions such as the Public Affairs Division, Recruitment Division and the Training/Academy Division. Fire Chief Zane Delange is a 40-year old veteran of the department. His career as a firefighter began when he applied for the Red County Fire Department in August 1993. Due to his alleged dedication and skill, he quickly climbed the ladder tree and became County Fire Chief. In March 1995 he was offered a position in the Planning Section of the LVFD due to a vacant position. In September 2002 he was promoted to the position of Assistant Fire Chief and was appointed as the Chief of Staff. In July 2012, Chief Zane Delange became the new Fire Chief of the department. Directly after being appointed by the Major of Las Venturas he publicly stated the following: "To ensure the growth and professional service I will plan several revisions to divisions which are key within this department. Those include administrative- and field divisions. 85% of our calls are medical related, therefore the city requires a smooth transition between pre-hospital and hospital care. As well as communication between the LVFD and other agencies and area hospitals will be improved." Organization High Command The Fire Chief is the head of the Fire Department. The Chief has the final say in decisions regarding the department and its members. He is responsible for the administration of the department and also supervises and monitors other High Command staff, as well as non-commissioned members. Depending on the needs of the community, the Fire Chief may be involved in fire prevention and fire inspection. The Chief will always be the Incident Commander (IC) on an emergency scene. The Assistant Chief is the "right hand" of the Fire Chief and is second in command of the department. The Assistant Chief exercises supervision over the Division Chiefs and indirectly over the lower ranked members. He will be the Incident Commander (IC) on emergency scenes when the Fire Chief is not on scene. Divisions inside the LVFD Training Division The Training Division's primary responsibility is to train all members to the required standards of the department. They organize the different academies hosted by the department and provide the teachers for each academy. The different available academies are: EMT-B, EMT-I, EMT-P and FF class. Specialized classes which are required to join USAR, Hazmat and Air Ops are hosted by the respective division the firefighter wishes to join. They work in close cooperation with the Recruitment Division to organize the academies after each recruitment batch. Recruitment Division The Recruitment Division's primary responsibility is to maintain and enforce the recruitment process for new employees of the LVFD. Their recruitment officers have the ability to decline and accept applicants on their written application and oral interview. A second responsibility is to cooperate with local law enforcement (usually the LVPD) to conduct a criminal background investigation on all candidates who are seeking to join the LVFD. The head of the Recruitment Division is responsible for the administrative side of the division as well as the actual recruitment for the Fire Department. He recruits and supervises all of the Junior- and Senior Recruitment Officers and must maintain and evaluate the recruitment process. They usually have a close relationship with the Academy Chief and High Command staff to discuss and develop the recruitment process and apply changes with their consent if deemed necessary. Public Affairs Office The Public Affairs Office (also referred to as the Public Affairs Division) holds the responsibility to hold press releases, organize civic activities, media events and other public and community related activities. The head of the Public Affairs Division is the main community liaison for the department. He is responsible for all the released press releases and all community events involving the Fire Department, as well as giving interviews to the media on request. He is also the main liaison between the Fire Department and other government departments. Urban Search and Rescue Division The LVFD’s Urban Search and Rescue Division provides, in a sense, "backup" to firefighters in difficult situations. The division provides structural collapse, air, trench and confined space rescue capabilities throughout Bone County and the Las Venturas Metropolitan Area. The USAR uses a specialized fleet of Heavy Rescue and Light Rescue vehicles as ground units, and their HH-60 Jayhawks as air vehicles. The head of this division is the person overseeing all aspects of the specialized Urban Search and Rescue team. Which includes acting as commanding officer on scene, ensuring the required specialized training is applied to all members, administrating the maintenance of the USAR's fleet and maintaining administrative responsibilities in general. He can choose staff members at his own discretion and assign a deputy head, with the consent of the High Command. Air Operations Division The Air Operations Divisions is, together with the Rapid Response Team, the only specialized division in the emergency medical service side of the LVFD. Air Ops possess several helicopters for critical care transportation by air. Department paramedics who fly with the unit are required to carry extra certifications relating to patient airway management and flight physiology as mandated by the San Andreas Department of Health. The head of Air Ops oversees all aspects of this division on EMS side of the LVFD. On emergency scenes, they can be placed in the Incident Command Team (ICT) to coordinate the critical care transportation in case of a calamity event. The head must also fulfill administrative-related responsibilities. They can be assisted by other staff members which can be chosen at his own discretion and assign a deputy head with the consent of the High Commanding. Hazardous Materials Division The Hazmat Division holds a group of specially trained firefighters which are trained in chemical decontamination. In the event of chemical or dangerous toxin emergencies of any level, or a bomb threat, the LVFD will dispatch a Hazmat team. Due to the low amount of responses, this division's members are able to work as normal firefighters, however, are required to be available to respond to hazmat-related events. Being the head of the Hazardous Materials Division includes mainly the monitoring and continuous special training of members in case of a Hazmat incident. The head is solely responsible for their setup training program and division meetings. When a Hazmat team is dispatched, the head of this division can be part of the ICT to coordinate the emergency. Rapid Response Team The Rapid Response Team will be dispatched if there are no normal ambulances available. The members of the Rapid Response Team are EMT-Basic trained and must stabilize the patient while waiting for the arrival of an ambulance, once one becomes available. Basic four-door sedans equipped with BLS equipment are most commonly used. Rank structure From highest to lowest: See also *Las Venturas Category:Public services Category:Organizations